Germans
A German as opposed to generically Germanic ethnicity emerges in the course of the Middle Ages, under the influence of the unity of Eastern Francia from the 9th century. The process is gradual and lacks any clear definition. After Christianization, the superior organization of the Roman Catholic Church lent the upper hand for a German expansion at the expense of the Slavs, giving the medieval Drang nach Osten as a result. At the same time, naval innovations led to a German domination of trade in the Baltic Sea and Central–Eastern Europe through the Hanseatic League. Along the trade routes, Hanseatic trade stations became centers of Germanness where German urban law (Stadtrecht) was promoted by the presence of large, relatively wealthy German populations and their influence on the worldly powers. This means that people whom we today often consider Germans, with a common culture and worldview very different from that of the surrounding rural peoples, colonized as far north of present-day Germany as Bergen (in Norway), Stockholm (in Sweden), and Vyborg (now in Russia). At the same time, it is important to note that the Hanseatic League was not exclusively German in any ethnic sense. Many towns who joined the league were outside of the Holy Roman Empire, which wasn't by far entirely German itself, and a number of them ought not at all be characterized as German. It is only in the late 15th century that the German empire comes to be called Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, and even this was not in any way exclusively German, notably including a sizeable Slavic minority. The Thirty Years' War, a series of conflicts fought mainly in Germany, confirmed the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Napoleonic Wars gave it its coup de grace. Iron is the basis on which a powerful army is built. Apart from its uses in upgrades it is an obligatory part of the construction of each building. The iron mines of the Germans supply them with 25% more of this resource, which in turn significantly eases the development of many buildings and upgrades. It is vital for every ruler to be able to train an army quickly. The Infantry is always on the front-line and training them fast is very important. Germans can easily restore their army because they train Infantry 25% faster than other nations. When transporting resources is vital, this nation has the perk of having merchants that can carry 100% more resources, which can be very important at certain stages of the game. The Germans have 25% more damage against a Wall and the Loyalty of their Castles regenerates 100% faster. The Germans’ special unit – the Teutonic Knight – gives a bonus to the skill Warrior. Furthermore it is an excellent battle unit with very good attack and defense, and is trained 25% cheaper. Because of the great statistics of the Teutonic Night, it is recommended to stack them up. This also gives the advantage to skip investing skill points into Warrior skill, as this unit can increase the bonus to its cap of 50% (60% with special upgrade). production; training; cavalry); marches; training; knight;